Love Under Pressure
by MirAndysCrow
Summary: What happened after the events of "Shattered"? Make no mistake this is femslash! You have been warned.


**Title:** Love Under Pressure

**Pairing:** Melinda/Olivia

**Author:** Mirandyscrow

**Rating:** Pg-13

**Summary:** What happened after the events of _Shattered_?

**Archive:** Sure if you really want it. Lol, it would be a surprise to me, just ask my permission first. (It's nice when people ask)

**Disclaimer:** Law and Order: SVU belongs to Dick Wolf and NBC. Any and all other brand names belong to their respective owners. I do not make any money on this story. Please don't sue; I only have a box of Easy Mac as collateral. BTW Easy Mac is the property of Kraft. :P

**Author's Note:** So apparently I need to stop watching Law & Order marathons when they come on or I'll have a bunch of slash ideas, lol.

Big thanks to wonderful and awesome Em for beta-ing this fic for me! All simple mistakes are my own.

Another thanks to my best friend and partner in crime, Shadow for her suggestions. Love ya, babe!

xposted on LiveJournal

-x-

Olivia kept her hand over the wad of gauze to keep pressure on the wound. Her eyes stayed locked with Melinda's. She was deathly afraid that if she blinked, her lover would be gone forever. Melinda started to breath erratically. Distantly, Olivia heard the Medical Examiner explain her injuries. The world fell out of focus and moved slower somehow as a scalpel seem to appear in her hand.

"I don't think I can do this," the detective said. She heard her own voice as if it had come from a tunnel.

"Then get ready to watch me die," Melinda groaned.

Cowardly, was not a an attribute one would place with Olivia Benson but at that moment the detective realized she couldn't bring herself to hurt the one she held dear even if it would save said woman's life. She cradled Melinda's head close to her chest. _"I love you. I love you so much."_ She just wanted to shout. The words stayed frozen in her throat. A lone tear flowed down Olivia's cheek as she leaned forward, brushing her lips across Melinda's for the last time.

"I…" Melinda coughed violently, blood fell from her mouth. Her chest heaved a few times with as she tried to pull air into her lungs and then she was still.

"Melinda!" Olivia screamed in despair.

-x-

Olivia snapped out of her daze just in time to see Jo fall to her knees, thrusting the medical supplies into her arms. The detective steeled her nerves and saved the love of her life.

-x-

Olivia walked into Melinda's hospital room with a bouquet of white roses. The steady beeping of the heart monitor filled the space as she moved a chair close to the bed. She placed the flowers on the bedside table and grasped Melinda's hand. She studied her lover's face, trying to yet again memorize every single detail of the other woman's face. Her tears fell freely as she thought about how close she had come to losing the love of her life.

"You do realize I'm not dead," a sardonic voice said above her.

Olivia sat up, wiping her face free of tears. "I almost lost you and that's enough to bring the tears." She looked at the woman on the bed. "I can't believe you had me put in a chest tube."

Melinda opened her eyes slightly, stifling the wince that even the soft lights of her hospital room caused. "You didn't do a half bad job. Maybe you missed your calling," she said and let her eyes drift close once more.

"Well, I have always thought of myself as being multitalented." Olivia said lightly, her joke tragically falling flat in the sterile room. "I love you," she said suddenly.

Melinda's eyes snapped open, looking at the other woman in surprise. "Olivia…"

"No, I'm not saying this because you're in the hospital. I actually had a whole dinner planned before you ended up in this bed," Olivia's voice cracked slightly. "It's a shame really, you would have enjoyed it."

"We can still do that." Melinda sat up, ignoring the sharp pain in her side.

Olivia placed a gentle but firm hand against her lover's shoulder. "Mel, don't move."

"I thought we've established that you can't boss me around, Detective," the injured woman teased, lacing her fingers together with Olivia's.

Olivia smirked before she spoke, "I thought we've also established that I'd never boss you around but I have ways of being very persuasive."

This was easy. The banter, the flirting was completely second nature to them and Melinda accepted it eagerly.

"I think my injury has me a little fuzzy maybe you should remind me," she said coyly. Olivia smiled, giving her girlfriend a sweet kiss that quickly turned into a passion filled dance of dueling tongues and teeth.

"Is this what the dinner would have been like?" Melinda gasped once she pulled away.

"It would have ended with this eventually." Olivia gently caught Melinda's bottom lip between her teeth, sliding her tongue faintly across it before releasing.

"It's a shame that I missed my chance then."

"It's not like we don't have the time. That is if you plan on sticking around," Olivia said with a shrug and a smile. She tossed her bangs away from her face and subtly avoided eye contact with the other woman.

The first thing Melinda saw through when the detective asked her out two years ago was her tough exterior. Fortunately, it was just as transparent as that first day. Melinda just reached out once again, taking Olivia's pale hand in her own. She placed a kiss on a nearby knuckle. "I'll be here," she breathed just before exhaustion claimed her once again.

~Fin~

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**Thanks for reading! ^_^**


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